


Ezekiel Jones And The Modern Prometheus (Have A Lot In Common)

by Roshwen



Series: Librarians Shipathon 2018 [1]
Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Don't Call Him A Monster That's Just Mean, Figured I'd Put That In There, Fluff, Gen, Humor, TW For The Germans Getting Kicked Out Out Of The World Cup, Technically He's Called Adam, The Librarians Shipathon 2018, slightly cracky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 00:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15085055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roshwen/pseuds/Roshwen
Summary: ‘Okay,’ Jake said softly. ‘Okay. But… the person Frankenstein built? You’re going out with him?’‘It’s notgoing out,’ Ezekiel said, almost heaving a sigh of relief now that the word was out. ‘It’s like I said. Some burgers and then beer and soccer. Guys’ night out. That’s it.’...Or is it?





	Ezekiel Jones And The Modern Prometheus (Have A Lot In Common)

**Author's Note:**

> Meet my crack ship of the week! I've baptised it with the finest champagne and labeled it 'FrankenJones', which, frankly, sounds a lot more terrifying that it is. Have fun!

‘Jones, Cassie and I are going to grab some pizza. You wanna join?’

If Ezekiel had just said no, Jake wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But instead, Ezekiel glanced up, hesitated, looked both unsure and trapped for some reason and then shook his head. ‘Uhm, no. Thanks cowboy. I’ve, uhm, I’ve got plans.’

Jake raised an eyebrow. ‘What kind of plans?’

Yes, it was a prying, personal question and it was probably none of his business what Ezekiel got up to after hours. In fact, Jake was pretty sure he’d sleep better if he _didn’t_ know. But still. Normally, Ezekiel was a lot more glib when he blew them off, whereas now he seemed almost wary. Something was up. And Jake, by virtue of Librarianism and bone-headed stubbornness, needed to know why.

‘Jones?’ he asked again, when no answer seemed to be forthcoming. ‘What’s goin’ on?’

Ezekiel blew out an irritated gust of air and rolled his eyes. ‘Nothing. It’s just… I’m meeting Adam tonight to watch the World Cup. Probably get something to eat beforehand as well, so. That’s all.’

Now Jake’s eyebrows almost merged with his hair because _what_. ‘Who’s Adam?’

And now Ezekiel was no longer looking at him, which was enough to stop the laughter that was rising up inside of Jake because he was obviously touching on some kind of nerve here. Legal or illegal, Ezekiel never got this nervous about his exploits.

‘Adam from when we went looking for the heart of the Library,’ was the almost inaudible reply and it took all of two seconds for Jake’s penny to drop with an almost audible _ping_.

‘Adam as in _Frankenstein’s…’_ he started, but immediately backed away when Ezekiel raised his head and snapped: ‘ _Don’t._ ’ He threw Jake a withering glare, but relented as soon as he saw Jake raising his hands in surrender. ‘Don’t… don’t call him that. Please.’

‘Okay,’ Jake said softly. ‘Okay. But… the person Frankenstein built? You’re going out with him?’

‘It’s not _going out,’_ Ezekiel said, almost heaving a sigh of relief now that the word was out. ‘It’s like I said. Some burgers and then beer and soccer. Guys’ night out. That’s it.’

Jake must still look doubtful, because Ezekiel rolled his eyes again. ‘That’s _it,_ cowboy. Promise. Look, if you want to, you can join us. Cass too, Eve, hell, if you can manage to pry Jenkins and Flynn out of here then they’re welcome as well because Adam and I are _friends. Just_ friends. Besides,’ he added with a sudden grin, ‘he’s far more into chicks than I am. _Far_ more.’

There, Jake admitted Ezekiel might have a point. ‘Okay,’ he said, after a moment’s consideration. ‘I’ll join you. If you’re really cool with that.’

‘I’m cool with that,’ Ezekiel said, his earlier wariness completely forgotten and replaced by his usual happy smirk. ‘This could be fun.’

\---

‘But why?’ Cassandra asked as the three of them made their way from the Annex to the burger joint a couple of blocks down. ‘I mean, not to sound insensitive or anything, but we don’t usually make friends with the creatures we meet. Why are you two still in touch?’

‘Couple of reasons,’ Ezekiel replied, after chewing his bottom lip for a moment. ‘I thought it might be, you know. Healthy? To have friends outside of the Library. No offense to you guys, but my social circle used to be a lot bigger and it’s kind of… nice to not be a Librarian for an hour or so, once every week?’

Jake nodded. ‘I get that,’ he muttered. ‘But why Adam? I mean, once he cooled down he seemed like an okay dude, but still.’

‘Yeah, that’s the second reason,’ Ezekiel said, now stopping in his tracks. ‘Uhm. Once he cooled down, we… got to talking. And he told me he’d been alone for his entire book and how no one was ever nice to him but they all just saw him as this horrible monster, and how all he wanted was for his dad to actually start giving a crap about him. And now he’s suddenly here, and he’s got nothing and he knows nothing about… about this world and what he should do or anything like that and he’s still gonna be alone and scared too, because everything he’s ever known is in his book and I… I just wanted to help.’

He shrugged, meeting Jake and Cassandra’s incredulous stare head on before averting his gaze and looking down at the pavement. ‘So that’s why,’ he muttered, before clearing his throat. ‘Okay. Let’s move, or we’re gonna be late.’

\---

Jake had always been wary of the phrase ‘they’re nicer when you get to know them.’ But now that they were sitting in a dimly lit, tiny, sports bar that he had never noticed although he had walked this street a hundred times, and now that they had gotten past Adam’s initial gleeful enthusiasm when he greeted them (and nearly broke Jake’s hand and all of Cassandra’s ribs in the process), he had to admit. Adam was not a bad guy. Not a bad guy at all.

They were sitting in a semi-circle around the table, so that all of them could watch the match that was being played on the oversized tv screen on the opposite wall. The air in the bar was sweltering, filled with the hum of beer and the cheering, booing and running commentary of the crowd around them, but Jake didn’t care. He didn’t care all that much for soccer either, but he had a cold beer in one hand, with the other one on Cassandra’s back, and he was in the perfect position to watch the two men next to him gleefully destroying the attempts of the German team to try and get ahead against the South Koreans.

‘ _That’s_ my people! _That’s_ what I’m talking about!’

‘Jones, you’re Australian!’

‘Don’t care, mate. Gotta support your heritage, you know! Yes! Get. It. _In! Come_ on! _’_

They really made a good pair, Jake thought. A bit odd, at first sight. Lanky, tanned and cocky against big, buff and boisterous. But they shared the same enthusiasm, the same childlike joy when something good happened to them (such as when South Korea finally managed to score the 1-0 in the 96th minute of play time and they both cheered so loud that they nearly toppled over the table) and now Jake could see why Adam and Ezekiel had hit it off so well. They were two halves of the same, very weird and possibly slightly dented coin and watching them, Jake couldn’t help the fond grin that spread across his face.

Jones had been right. Making friends outside of the Library had been a good call, in this case.

\---

Although, when South Korea scored for the second time not five minutes later, effectively ending the game and kicking the Germans out of the World Cup for the first time since WWII, Adam envelopes Ezekiel in such a crushing hug that Jake fears for the guy’s spine for a moment. But then he sees how tightly Ezekiel is hugging Adam back, burying his entire face in his shoulder for just a split second.

And Jake looks away, back to Cassandra, who, if the smile on her face is any indication, has spotted the exact same thing.

Just for once, Ezekiel might be wrong about something. Because Adam might be ‘more into chicks’ than Ezekiel is, but Jake is feeling a nagging suspicion that Adam isn’t _entirely_ into chicks, as Ezekiel seems to think.

Well. Good for them, the thinks with a grin as he takes another sip of his beer while trying not to be deafened by the erupting soccer crowd around him when the final whistle blows.

Cassandra tugs his sleeve and he bends over, so he can hear her over the din. She shoots another glace at Adam and Ezekiel, who are now standing arm in arm behind their table and singing some kind of victory duet, loudly and so off key it’s a wonder it doesn’t scratch the windows.

‘Do you think we should tell him?’ she asks in a low voice, cupping Jake’s ear to make sure he hears her.

‘Nah,’ Jake grins back. ‘He’s a smart guy. He’ll figure it out.’


End file.
